I was a competitive gymnast in my preteen years, and my favorite apparatus was the balance beam. At 4 feet tall with a width of 4 inches, I enjoyed the challenge of mastering difficult skills on what seemed an impossible contraption. My training taught me to tighten my muscles and move my body in such a way as to balance well.

But no matter how well I trained, I would inevitably fall now and again. And as any good coach would do, mine would tell me to shake it off and hop back up on the beam. There was no time for discouragement or fear to set in, possibly creating a mental block that could prevent me from performing routines I was perfectly capable of doing.

A global worker’s life is a lot like trying to stay on the balance beam. We train to enter a new culture with sensitivity and grace yet unashamed of sharing the gospel that called us here. We trust the Lord with an open hand for our work while delicately maintaining the expectations of our supporters. We “virtually” love, care for, and give attention to family thousands of miles away while physically ministering to the people God brings to our doorsteps.  

And no matter how hard we try, we inevitably fall now and again. With our pride hurt and possibly with feelings of guilt or frustration, how do we hop back onto our balance beam in this global life? Just as I had to trust my coach’s direction, we must trust our Father’s words. 

Diving into the Scriptures, we see God’s faithfulness time and time again. It is God who causes miraculous victories, who holds us in His mighty hands, who makes a way for eternal salvation, and who loves without condition. Our kind Father places us back onto our balance beams, dissolving any discouragement and fear, reminding us that we are His workmanship created for good works He prepared for us (Ephesians 2:10). Standing firmly on the beam, we trust God as He works in us to do His will (Philippians 2:13).